To This Year's Secret Santa
by lilmisswritergal4eva82719511
Summary: Project PULL Christmas entry! Part 1/3; In which e-mails are sent, Lysander is panicked, Tancred hates his life, names are pulled, and more e-mails are sent.


**A/N: It's Christmas Eve. So for Project PULL, I decided that I shall do something Christmas-like. :) But just note that Billy and Mai are 21, Charlie, Liv, Em, Fido, Gabe, and Naren are 23, Lysander, Tancred, Lauren, and Annette are 25. (You'll find out who Annette is soon.) Enjoy! :)**

**Disclaimer: I'll do this at the end of the last chapter, because if I write what I **_**do**_

**own, it'll spoil the plot ;) But the character's (besides Annette and -ahem- Mr. Green :P) all belong to Jenny Nimmo.**

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**To: Gabriel Silk; Charlie Bone; Naren Bloor; Olivia Vertigo; Fidelio Gunn; Tancred Torsson; Lysander Sage; Lauren Sage; Annette Livingston; Billy Raven; Mai Silk**

**From: Emma Tolly**

**Date: November 29****th**

**Subject: Secret Santa!**

**Hello, all! It's that time of year. Yep, it's "the most wonderful time of the yeeeeeeeeaar!"**

**But seriously, it's Christmas time! And we all know what that means:**

**SECRET SANTA! :D**

**So, in the words of Olivia Vertigo; details, details! Well, here they are:**

**Date: December 25****th**** (As always)**

**Place: Being the wonderful fiancé he is, Gabriel has kindly volunteered his apartment.**

**Time: 2:00 - … Whenever, really.**

**Gift Limit: $50**

**RSVP Date: December 5****th**

**Pull-Out-Of-Hat Date: December 8****th**

**So, remember, e-mail me back with your R-S-V-P, A-S-A-P!**

**- Emma**

**P.S. WILLIAM GRAEME RAVEN! You have not introduced your girlfriend to ANYONE! How are we supposed to include her if we have no idea who she is?**

**P.P.S. MAI ELAINE SILK! What's written above applies to you too! We haven't met your boyfriend!**

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**To: Emma Tolly**

**From: Billy Raven**

**Date: November 30****th**

**Subject: RE: Secret Santa!**

**Hey Em!**

**I'm coming, but my girlfriend's not. She's going to be out of town with most of her family. And you guys will meet her eventually. So stop yelling at me about it every chance you get!**

**- Billy**

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**To: Emma Tolly**

**From: Annette Livingston**

**Date: November 30****th**

**Subject: RE: Secret Santa!**

**Hi Emma,**

**I can't come. I promised my dad and my little sister that I'd spend Christmas with them this year, since I didn't last year. Sorry! :( Have fun though.**

**- Annette**

**P.S. Tancred's been acting strange lately. Any ideas as to why?**

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**To: Emma Tolly**

**From: Lysander Sage**

**Date: November 30****th**

**Subject: RE: Secret Santa!**

**Hey Emma**

**I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it. Lauren's due date is around that time, and I'm not sure I want her leaving the house. That being said, I'm not leaving her alone. I'll get back to you by the 5****th****.**

**- Lysander**

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**To: Emma Tolly**

**From: Fidelio Gunn**

**Date: December 1****st**

**Subject: RE: Secret Santa!**

**Hey Em,**

**I'm RSVP-ing for me, as well as Olivia, Charlie, and Naren. For the life of me, I don't know why, but they refused to do it for themselves. But anyway, we're all yes. See you then!**

**- Fidelio**

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**To: Emma Tolly**

**From: Tancred Torsson**

**Date: December 1****st**

**Subject: RE: Secret Santa!**

**Hi Em.**

**I'm in. Annette already told me she told you she can't come.**

**- Tancred**

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**To: Emma Tolly**

**From: Gabriel Silk**

**Date: December 3****rd**

**Subject: RE: Secret Santa!**

**Hey, Emma**

**I know this is late, but um… when did I volunteer my apartment? And what are we going to about my roommates? Oh, and obviously I'm coming. Mai can't make it, though. June planned this whole little get-together thing for the family. I (obviously) had plans beforehand, so I'm not going.**

**- Gabriel**

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**To: Emma Tolly**

**From: Lysander Sage**

**Date: December 5****th**

**Subject: FW: Secret Santa!**

**Hey Em,**

**Lauren says I can do it, but she won't be able to. She's still going to come though…**

**It doesn't make sense to me either. Pregnancy hormones, I'm guessing.**

**- Lysander**

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**To: Gabriel Silk; Charlie Bone; Naren Bloor; Olivia Vertigo; Fidelio Gunn; Tancred Torsson; Lysander Sage; Billy Raven**

**From: Emma Tolly**

**Date: December 6****th**

**Subject: Pull-Out-Of-Hat Date**

**Thanks everyone for replying on time, unlike last year… (coughcoughCHARLIEcoughcough). So, we're all meeting at the coffee shop near Billy's school to draw names on the 8****th****, alright? Be there at noon!**

**- Emma**

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_December 8__th_

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"Charlie. Charlie. Chaaaaaarlie." Naren tried multiple times to wake up her boyfriend, but to no avail. She sighed, and decided to do the easiest thing. She went to the kitchen, got a glass of water, went back to the living room of his apartment where he was currently passed out on, and dumped the water over his face.

He promptly fell over and landed on his feet like a ninja. Naren, of course, had to laugh.

"Naaaaaaaren!" Charlie complained, "That was _not_ nice."

"You had to wake up," Naren pouted, "After all, it's the 8th, and it's almost quarter-after eleven. Emma will _kill_ you if you're late. You know how… high-strung she is with Secret Santa. I don't really know why, though."

"Yeah, I wonder too," Charlie said. Okay, that was a complete lie. Charlie knew why Secret Santa was so important to his cousin, but he promised he wouldn't tell anyone. But then he realized the rest of what Naren said and jumped up from the seat he'd taken on the couch again, running to his bedroom and cursing.

Naren shook her head with a smile. Charlie Bone was probably the most simple-minded boy she'd ever met. What was she going to do with him?

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Lysander would never admit it, but he kind of had a near-panic attack every second he wasn't with Lauren. What if something happened to her and he wasn't there? What if something happened to the _baby_? They were the two most important things in his life and he wouldn't be able to live himself if something happened to either of them.

Because of this, Lysander had a hard time getting out the door, and Lauren was practically throwing him out.

"It's only an hour at most, Lysander. You can just pull the name and leave. You don't need to worry about me." Lauren told him.

"But a lot can happen in an hour!" Lysander protested.

"Me and Darcy will be _fine_."

"You mean you and _Nigel_. And there's always what if, Lauren."

"I _meant_ me and _Darcy_, like I _said_," Lauren paused. She _really_ didn't want to do this, but drastic times called for drastic measures. "Now, if you'd like, I _could_ go with you. And I could leave the safety of our home; walk across the street, where there could be a _car_ coming; drive over to the café with you, where we _might_ get into an accident; and we'd probably park across the street where there could be _more_ cars coming. Or we'd probably be late, and then we'd be faced with Emma's wrath. But, honestly, I don't mind at all."

Lysander gulped. "You know, on second thought, maybe I should just go ahead. You probably need your rest anyway. I'll be home in an hour."

And with that, he was gone.

Lauren sighed, went to the kitchen, and sat down on a chair. She put an arm around her stomach and said "You know, as much as I just _know_ you're a girl, I kind of wish you were a boy; only because if you were, your father wouldn't be so insane and over-protective with you when you're growing up. Heaven help your first boyfriend."

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Tancred officially hated his life.

Not exactly the cheeriest thing when the holidays were less than twenty days away, but he did. It probably had to do with the fact that hated his boss and he hated his co-workers. Why, oh _why_, of all careers, did he have one at a call centre?

No, this was not his career. This was his job. If he advanced any higher, this would be his career. And if this were his career, he'd have to throw himself in front of a train.

That being said, he actually kind of liked his job. And he definitely did _not_ want to get fired from his job. But of course, that's most likely what was going to happen, seeing as his boss kept calling him in for meetings for no reason. He kept telling Tancred to pay attention, as it was important for him to know.

Why? He never actually said, but Tancred Torsson was _not_ an idiot. It was important because the people in the meetings were doing really, really good at what they were doing and Tancred had to live up to them if he was to stay at his position. Which really sucks, since the people in the meetings honestly seemed like a bunch of idiots.

But it's not like he could tell his friends. Because, honestly, _that_ wasn't going to go over too well. "Oh, hey guys, just wanted to let you know that I'm probably going to get fired because I hate everyone I work with."

"Hey, Tancred."

Well, almost.

Tancred spun his chair around to see a pretty blonde woman in a white blouse and grey pencil skirt holding a folder in one hand and a coat slung on the opposite arm. He smiled. "Hey Annie. Is work over already?"

"For me, yes. You, on the other, have this to fill out by Monday. It's from Manfred." Annette said, holding out the folder to him.

It still freaked Tancred out that his annoying boss had the same name as the leader of the bad endowed from his time at Bloor's. Luckily, he just called him "Mr. Green" to block it out.

"I bet it's this thing that says I can't sue the company for firing me," he wanted to say. But he didn't, because he hadn't even told Annette his fear. He instead shrugged and asked what it was for.

"Don't know. But look at the time. It's almost eleven. Are you going to go to the café in your work clothes?" Annette asked.

"Don't feel like changing. Besides, it's just the gang. They've seen me a heck of a lot worse. Heck, they'll probably tell off Mr. Green for making us work on a Saturday once they see me. Shall we go?" Tancred asked, getting up and grabbing his coat and messenger bag. Annette smiled. She didn't have time to say 'yes,' or even nod, before Tancred put his arm around her, kissed her cheek and began walking her out.

Okay, so maybe Tancred didn't _totally_ hate his life.

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"Oh, but it's cold outside."

Fidelio and Olivia ended off laughing. They'd been singing Christmas-y songs for the better part of the morning. They'd just finished off a rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" while pulling up to the café about five minutes away from Billy's university.

"Hey, Fido, what time is it?" Olivia asked her boyfriend. He grinned at the nickname that, over the years, only she'd kept using. "Five-after, so there _is_ a chance Emma's not going to kill us. That's a plus," Fidelio told her.

"Very much so. Come on; let's go before she does," Olivia said, opening the passenger seat door.

Once they were actually in the café, it wasn't very hard to find the table where everyone was. Everyone was there already, and with Emma looking like she was about to blow up while simultaneously ready to pace a hole in the floor, it was hard to miss. Olivia and Fidelio winced and both really hoped it wasn't their fault. Emma was the best person to have as an organizer for… anything, really. The only problem was that she was a little _too_ organized. And that caused her to be a little… eccentric. So God have mercy on whoever messed with any plans Emma made. They were supposed to be perfect, after all.

The couple greeted everyone quietly; then Emma looked up and stopped pacing. She stared, mouth slightly agape. Then she brightened and, with a giant grin, exclaimed, "Olivia has a _hat_!"

At that, Tancred, Lysander, Billy, Charlie, Naren, and Gabriel all visibly relaxed. Olivia and her boyfriend hadn't even realized that they were tense to begin with.

"Olivia has a hat, so we have something to put the names in, so this wasn't a complete waste! Yes!" Emma had now taken to looking upward and talking with great joy. Fidelio took a seat while Olivia silently held out her beret to her currently oblivious best friend, who was still praising the ceiling. Finally, Emma took out a folded piece of paper from her purse and went to tearing it neatly, yet was still chattering happily. When she deemed them properly done, Emma folded each and turned to demand that Olivia hand over her headwear. So obviously she was surprised when it was already being handed to her.

"Thanks, Livvie," she said with a smile. She dropped the names in the beret and shook it.

"Hey, be careful! My mom got me that," Olivia said, almost panicked. Emma ignored her and cheerily cried "Time to pull!"

Everyone pulled the names, wondered who got who, and just chatted about their lives.

Just a typical Pull-Out-Of-Hat Day.

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**To: Gabriel Silk**

**From: Olivia Vertigo**

**Date: December 9****th**

**Subject: HELP! D:**

**GABRIEL!**

**I spent ALL of yesterday after the café trying to figure out a good gift for Tancred, but I have **_**no**_** idea. So, un-biological brother of mine; I am recruiting you. You are going to help me. Thanks, Gabe :)**

**- Olivia**

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**To: Mai Silk**

**From: Billy Raven**

**Date: December 9****th**

**Subject: [No Subject]**

**Hey you.**

**Um… I was hoping you could help me out. I picked your brother for Secret Santa this year, and I was hoping that I could get him something really awesome. That way, he'd be so distracted by it that he wouldn't try to kill me when I mention in passing that I'm dating his sister, you know? And don't try to deny it; we know how Gabriel gets. So, e-mail me back with any ideas, 'kay?**

**- Billy**

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**To: Emma Tolly**

**From: Fidelio Gunn**

**Date: December 10****th**

**Subject: Secret Santa**

**Hey Em,**

**I just wanted to ask something. I know that the Secret Santa limit is $50, but I was kind of thinking of going a little bit over… okay, a lot over… in a way. As in, I got the gift before I knew who I picked and…**

**Okay, this is hard to explain, so I'll just say.**

**I picked Olivia, and I was going to ask her to marry me.**

**So, call me and I'll properly ask you about it.**

**- Fidelio**

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**A/N: And I leave you with that. :D Gosh, I'm evil. But this is 1 of 3, so there's more to come; hopefully sometime next week. But Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! :D**

**Work Count: 2, 321**

**Posted at: 11:45 PM**

**- May :)**

**P.S. I'm sure this is obvious, _but_ Annette is Tancred's girlfriend who works with him. Speaking of Tancred, who can guess "The Office" reference in there? :)**


End file.
